Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday directly addressed the Trump administration, urging them to "stop doing memes, stop throwing shade and stop trying to be tough," as he pushed back against a fresh wave of attacks from Washington regarding trade talks.
Carney stated that U.S.-Canada trade talks could resume if Washington approached negotiations with seriousness, but he accused the United States of pursuing terms that could lead to Canadian industries being "gradually wound down in Canada and wiped out." He emphasized that such terms would not be accepted.
"When the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade and stop trying to be tough, and start being serious about having those discussions, we can have those discussions," Carney said. "It’s not constructive, but that’s their democracy."
His remarks followed a period of escalating rhetoric since trade talks collapsed on August 21. President Trump had previously suggested renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America" and taunted Canada on social media. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent commented that Canada could not engage in a "tit for tat" with an economy significantly larger than its own.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also targeted the Canadian military online, posting an image of two female cadets with the caption "this is real" and a Canadian flag. Carney described the post as "beneath their office," while the Pentagon maintained the post "speaks for itself."
Bessent later stated on Fox News that Carney had received a "verbal beatdown" from him and Hegseth. Responding to Carney's call for serious negotiations, Bessent remarked, "Well, he was the one who said we were at war."
Carney elaborated that Washington's proposed deal included terms that were "uncompetitive" for key sectors like automotive manufacturing. He also noted that the U.S. sought changes affecting French-language and cultural protections, issues he deemed sufficient on their own to prevent an agreement.
Furthermore, Carney stated that Washington aimed to impose limits on Canada's future trade agreements, asserting, "Canada is a sovereign state. We will strike free trade deals with the countries we wish to strike free trade deals."
Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, conveyed that Carney had informed labor leaders that relations with the United States were unlikely to return to normal soon, characterizing the current situation as a "new normal."
Carney's stance has been bolstered by recent Liberal victories in three special elections, including a significant win in Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, Quebec, which improved the Liberal party's seat count in the House of Commons and reinforced his negotiating position.
U.S.-Canada trade talks faltered without a deal, prompting Trump to impose 50% tariffs on approximately $20 billion in Canadian goods. Canada's retaliatory tariffs, set to take effect September 8, are expected to range from 15% to 50% on nearly $20 billion in U.S. products. President Trump has also frequently raised the idea of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state.